International : Anti-war demo for FF ard fheis

Thousands march against Iraq war

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across the United States last weekend to call for an end to the Iraq war. The demonstrations marked the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion.
Massive anti-war rallies took place in New York, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched to the Pentagon’s doorstep on Saturday demanding “US out of Iraq Now”.
The war in Iraq has grown increasingly unpopular with the US public. Recent polls show most Americans now say the invasion was a mistake and want their government to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops.
In European cities, anti-war protests saw 400,000 participating in Madrid, with thousands demonstrating in Istanbul, Copenhagen, Prague and Athens. Rallies were also held in Tokyo and outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
At rallies in Sydney and Melbourne protestors called for the immediate withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) intends to make the Iraq war and the use of Shannon airport by the US military an issue in the forthcoming general election campaign. To this end IAWM is staging a major national demonstration at the Fianna Fáil special ard fheis on 24 March at the Citywest Conference Centre in Dublin.
Buses are being organised from around the country, and to facilitate people using public transport, the IAWM is organising special shuttle buses from the LUAS station at the Red Cow to Citywest. A Sinn Féin speaker will be among those to address the rally.